Dianne Reeves with Strings Attached at Duke University

Dianne Reeves' fans were in full force on this Friday evening at Duke University's Page Auditorium. The near-capacity crowd, composed of mostly females, seemed to hang on every thing Reeves said and sang. She is a wonderful storyteller, and every tune on the program began with a delightful, quite timely talk. Her rich, finely-tuned voice was in its usually superb form, and she was applauded throughout the almost two-hour concert. At times, it almost felt like a church service, complete with amens and steady encouragement from the Sunday-go-to-meeting dressed audience.

The concert, which featured guitarists, Georgia-born {Russell Malone} and Brazilian-born {Romero Lubambo}, was billed as "Strings Attached." It grew out of a successful 25-date European tour the trio performed last year. The highlights included a tasty rendition of the classic Jon Hendricks' composition "Social Call," which was sultry and quite pleasing to the ear. The audience responded with a strong sustained ovation that caused Ms. Reeves to smile and say, "What a wonderful audience. We got to come back here soon!" "Social Call" is one of those tunes that vocalists seem to love to sing because it is full of hidden messages and innuendos about a love affair that deserves a second chance. Reeves paced herself on the tune, allowing the beautiful guitar work of the two masters to flow behind her lovely gospel-tinged voice. It was the second composition of the set, and a splendid sign of what was to come.

Reeves gave an excellent reading of "Misty" later on in the set that was preceded by a humorous monologue about how she met Sarah Vaughan backstage at a concert in Los Angeles. She said she struck up a conversation with a lady she met backstage and told her all about Sarah Vaughan, not knowing it was Sarah until "Sassy" was called on stage. Reeves said she was embarrassed and dedicated "Misty" to Vaughan and to her uncle, who had turned her on to "the Divine One" when she was a youngster. Her rendition was replete with the operatic ups and downs similar to the way "Sassy" would have done it. But Reeve's voice was earthier, and her interpretation had a much more contemporary feel to it. It was clearly the best performance of the night.

The guitarists also played splendidly by themselves after glowing introductions from the featured performer. The Lubambo played an all-too-short, colorful Jobim number, "How Insensitive," which left the appreciative crowd wanting more. His playing sounded like two or three people playing at the same time and set the pace for a festive, fun-filled evening. Later, Russell Malone, who was flawless throughout the evening as a team player, with well-chosen notes and appropriate flavorings, played a thoughtful, emotionally moving Michael Jackson piece called "I'll Be There." The audience loved it, some responding by laughing and giving him a standing ovation.

The concert ended with the gathering requesting and getting an encore. Reeves obliged them with the only original of the night, choosing "Better Days," a tune that included a monologue about her grandmother and her family. The story was as touching as her singing, a joyful, inspiring way to end the concert. The happy, satisfied crowd left Page Auditorium obviously fulfilled, so much so that many of them lined up to buy the artist's recordings on sale in the packed lobby. Congratulations to the ambitious Duke Performances' Aaron Greenwald and Ken Rumble, for a thrilling, memorable event that represented professionalism in every sense.

I grew up listening to my father's Jazz records and listening to radio. My dad was a musician for many years as a vocalist, bassist and drummer. His two uncles played in the Symphony of Reggio Calabria back in Italy

I grew up listening to my father's Jazz records and listening to radio. My dad was a musician for many years as a vocalist, bassist and drummer. His two uncles played in the Symphony of Reggio Calabria back in Italy. So music and jazz specifically have been a part of me since I was born. I love and perform in all styles of music from around the world. Improvisation in jazz is what drew me in, and still does as well as other genres that feature improvisation. A group of great musicians expressing themselves as one is the hallmark of great jazz and in fact all great music.